Mediha Esenel | |
---|---|
Born | 1914 |
Died | 26 August 2005 (aged 90–91)
Istanbul, Turkey |
Alma mater | |
Spouse | Niyazi Berkes |
Children | Fikret Berkes |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Sociology |
Institutions | Ankara University |
Mediha Esenel (1914 – 2005) was a Turkish sociologist, writer and journalist. She was a faculty member of Ankara University until January 1947 when she resigned from her teaching post during the purge of leftist academics.
She was born in Istanbul in 1914. [1] [2] She was educated at the Erenköy Girls High School. [2] [3] She received a degree in philosophy from Istanbul University in 1935. [3] Then she went to the United States with her husband, Niyazi Berkes, and took courses on sociology, folklore, and archeology from the University of Chicago. [3] She received her PhD from Ankara University, and her thesis was on superstitions. [3]
Following their return to Turkey she and her husband joined the Faculty of Language, History and Geography of Ankara University in 1939. [4] She first worked as a research assistant at the department of folk literature and folklore. [5] Then she became a sociology lecturer at the institute of philosophy. [5] She carried out research on rural sociology. [3] She resigned from her teaching post on 7 January 1947 shortly after the dismissal of her husband and other academics from the faculty. [4] [6] She established a daily newspaper, 24 Saat (Turkish: 24 Hours), of which the first issue appeared on 22 February 1947. [4] Its editor-in-chief was Adnan Cemgil, and the paper lasted only 13 days until 6 March 1947. [4]
Then she began to work as a translator. [6] In 1953 she went to Canada where her husband had been living. [2] There she worked at a library and returned to Turkey in 1954. [6] Esenel was employed as a translator at the Denizcilik Bankası (Turkish: Maritime Bank) between 1955 and 1960. [6] She left the job and joined the Robert College in 1960 where she worked as a teacher of philosophy and sociology. [6] In 1972 she retired and continued her visits to villages in Anatolia. [2]
She was a regular contributor of İsmail Hakkı Baltacıoğlu's journal, Yeni Adam, between 1937 and 1946. [7] During her studies at Ankara University she contributed to the newspapers Vatan and Tan. [3] She published 22 articles in Yurt ve Dünya during this period. [2] [4] Following her resignation from Ankara University in 1948 she wrote a textbook targeting primary school students. [6] Her memoir was published in 1999: Geç Kalmış Bir Kitap (Turkish: A Late Book). [3] [8]
She married Niyazi Berkes with whom she had a son, Fikret. [3] [9] They divorced in 1954. [3] Esenel died in Istanbul on 26 August 2005. [6] [9]
Mediha Esenel | |
---|---|
Born | 1914 |
Died | 26 August 2005 (aged 90–91)
Istanbul, Turkey |
Alma mater | |
Spouse | Niyazi Berkes |
Children | Fikret Berkes |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Sociology |
Institutions | Ankara University |
Mediha Esenel (1914 – 2005) was a Turkish sociologist, writer and journalist. She was a faculty member of Ankara University until January 1947 when she resigned from her teaching post during the purge of leftist academics.
She was born in Istanbul in 1914. [1] [2] She was educated at the Erenköy Girls High School. [2] [3] She received a degree in philosophy from Istanbul University in 1935. [3] Then she went to the United States with her husband, Niyazi Berkes, and took courses on sociology, folklore, and archeology from the University of Chicago. [3] She received her PhD from Ankara University, and her thesis was on superstitions. [3]
Following their return to Turkey she and her husband joined the Faculty of Language, History and Geography of Ankara University in 1939. [4] She first worked as a research assistant at the department of folk literature and folklore. [5] Then she became a sociology lecturer at the institute of philosophy. [5] She carried out research on rural sociology. [3] She resigned from her teaching post on 7 January 1947 shortly after the dismissal of her husband and other academics from the faculty. [4] [6] She established a daily newspaper, 24 Saat (Turkish: 24 Hours), of which the first issue appeared on 22 February 1947. [4] Its editor-in-chief was Adnan Cemgil, and the paper lasted only 13 days until 6 March 1947. [4]
Then she began to work as a translator. [6] In 1953 she went to Canada where her husband had been living. [2] There she worked at a library and returned to Turkey in 1954. [6] Esenel was employed as a translator at the Denizcilik Bankası (Turkish: Maritime Bank) between 1955 and 1960. [6] She left the job and joined the Robert College in 1960 where she worked as a teacher of philosophy and sociology. [6] In 1972 she retired and continued her visits to villages in Anatolia. [2]
She was a regular contributor of İsmail Hakkı Baltacıoğlu's journal, Yeni Adam, between 1937 and 1946. [7] During her studies at Ankara University she contributed to the newspapers Vatan and Tan. [3] She published 22 articles in Yurt ve Dünya during this period. [2] [4] Following her resignation from Ankara University in 1948 she wrote a textbook targeting primary school students. [6] Her memoir was published in 1999: Geç Kalmış Bir Kitap (Turkish: A Late Book). [3] [8]
She married Niyazi Berkes with whom she had a son, Fikret. [3] [9] They divorced in 1954. [3] Esenel died in Istanbul on 26 August 2005. [6] [9]